Slandered your servant: or “lied about me” (Contemporary English Version and New Century Version as well as Good News Translation). Possibly the author is making a play on words with the verb rgl and the fact that Mephibosheth was lame in his rgl (“feet”), according to 9.3. But even if this is a deliberate play on words, translators should not worry about trying to reproduce it in the receptor language, since in most cases this is impossible.

My lord the king: again, this respectful reference to the king will need to be translated in a way that is natural in the receptor language.

Like the angel of God: some translators will need to know in what way Mephibosheth thinks David is like an angel. A good clue is given in 14.17, where the woman sent by Joab to David says that he is “like the angel of God to discern good and evil.” Mephibosheth is here acknowledging that David knows all about what has happened and that he knows who is in the right in this case. Contemporary English Version attempts to bring out the meaning by saying “You’re as wise as an angel of God.”

Do therefore what seems good to you: literally “and do the good in your eyes.” As a result of his confidence in David’s wisdom, Mephibosheth affirms his willingness to accept whatever the king decides to do about the controversy between him and his servant Ziba.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .